(See related pages)
After reading this chapter you should be able to:
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1. Explain what a theory is and why systems theory is a useful perspective for studying small group communication. |
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2. Define and give examples of a system. |
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3. Define inputs, throughput process, and outputs of a group system. |
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4. Explain why communication is at the heart of a group's throughput process. |
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5. Describe the role of the group's environment. |
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6. Compare and contrast open and closed systems. |
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7. Describe what interdependence means to the functioning of a small group system. |
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8. Explain the role of feedback in helping a system adapt to changing circumstances. |
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9. Explain why all groups experience multiple causes and multiple paths. |
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10. Explain why nonsummativity is a systemic characteristic of groups. |
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11. Explain how modern organizations are composed of networks of groups. |